Come in from the Pain
by ilovetvalot
Summary: Can Hotch help Rossi overcome his grief. Threeshot!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi guys! The FINAL voting process is well underway for the Second Annual Profiler's Choice Criminal Minds Awards hosted by Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum. Links can be found on our profiler pages. Please come on over and take a look at this year's incredibly talented nominees and their stories. Two random voters (that vote in ten categories or more) will be selected to receive gift cards from Amazon. com at the completion of this year's awards. So, take a moment and join the fun. Please PM us with any questions.**

_**And don't forget that we've got quite the collection of fellow authors and readers interfacing over at Facebook. Simply friend "Ilovetvalot Fanfiction" and/or "Tonnie Fanfiction" to join in the fun. Periodic announcements regarding our awards and ongoing work are announced there.**_

_**Thanks to everyone that continues to read, review, favorite and alert our work! You guys are incredible and we love hearing from each one of you!**_

_**Also, if anyone has any threads they would like to see opened at the forum, please let us know!**_

_**Thanks to flashpenguin for the prompt from Facebook.**_

_**This story is a post-ep for "Epilogue".**_

* * *

**Come in from the Pain**

**Chapter One**

Venturing another sidelong glance at the man ensconced beside him in the government SUV, Aaron Hotchner tightened his grip on the steering wheel, uncertain what to say to his partner and best friend. Hell, he knew from experience that grief was a bitch to survive, let alone overcome in any amount of time.

And it wasn't like he had a hell of a lot to offer in the form of advice. His counseling skills were sorely lacking in this arena, and he was well aware of that fact.

For weeks he had watched David Rossi sink deeper and deeper into despair. Never a talkative man, Rossi had become virtually mute, both in the office and out. And while Aaron had a healthy amount of respect for privacy, he also knew that there was only so much a body could internalize before it overloaded and went into full combustible meltdown. And the dark anger he saw building in the other man's gaze today only confirmed his suspicion.

David Rossi was indeed on the verge of self-implosion.

And he'd much rather handle the fallout privately rather than publicly. It would take a hell of a lot less paperwork.

Leaning his head back against the seat, Dave glanced out the window, his eyes narrowing as he realized they weren't headed toward his home in Georgetown. "Hotch, I asked for a ride home," Dave muttered as he clenched his fist against his leg, "Not a scenic tour of DC."

"Hey," Hotch grunted with a sideways glance, "You called me at midnight to come pick your sorry ass up from a bar, Dave. Complaining about my route isn't going to earn you points."

Frowning, Dave lapsed back into silence as he blinked, the oncoming headlights from the opposite side of the road temporarily blinding him. "I'm just saying my house is the other way."

"We're not going to your house," Hotch replied evenly, merging onto the interstate with practiced skill. "Jessica has Jack for the weekend and we're on stand down."

"So?" Rossi grunted deeply, rubbing his whiskered jaw as he let out a deep sigh.

"So, we're going to the cabin," Hotch stated calmly.

Dave shook his head furiously. "Aaron, no."

"We haven't been out there in over a month, Dave," Hotch reminded the other man softly, ignoring the death glare that was being aimed in his direction. "We need to at least check on the property."

"That's why I hired a groundskeeper. He'll make sure everything is all right and call me if there's a problem," Dave denied with a deep frown, leaning forward in his seat and pulling against the restrictive seat belt.

"You think going out there for the weekend and relaxing for a little while would be disloyal to Caroline's memory?" Hotch asked dryly, using the same argument Dave had once made to him about Haley. "It won't bring her back."

Staring out the window as he felt his spine stiffen, Dave growled. "I'm not grieving, Aaron. Caroline and I had been divorced for over twenty years. It wasn't like with you and Haley."

"Maybe not," Hotch consented with a slow nod, relieved that at least the silent man was communicating with him now, albeit, grudgingly. "But she was still your friend. You're allowed to grieve the death of your friend."

"Thank you, Ann Landers," Rossi retorted sarcastically, glaring at Aaron in the shadows of the vehicle. Watching as the other man merely stared out the windshield, Dave demanded, "Damn it, Aaron, I'm not up for this. Turn around and drop me off at my house."

"No." Aaron shook his head, unperturbed by Dave's demeanor. If there was one thing he knew about the older profiler, it was that he was surly as a grizzly bear when he was hurting. And he was most definitely hurting now. Old wounds were far more painful when they were unceremoniously ripped open. "Why don't you just shut up and close your eyes? We'll be there in half an hour and if you really don't want to stay, we'll drive back into the city in the morning."

"What about Jack's soccer game? I promised him that I'd be there," Dave mumbled, trying to relax against the bucket seat as he drew in a deep breath.

"Sunday afternoon. We've got plenty of time for you to decompress," Hotch countered easily as he shrugged. Shifting his eyes off the road to glance at the older man again, Hotch murmured, "I can take the guest bedroom, Dave. That isn't why I'm dragging you up here."

Blowing out a hard breath as Aaron's statement sank in, Dave swallowed, his throat tightening as he heard the gentle tone in the other man's voice. "I know I'm being a dick." Turning slightly in the seat, he studied Aaron's strong profile. "You know this isn't about you and me, right?" he asked softly, seeking some kind of reassurance from the younger man.

"I know that you called me too drunk to drive from a bar tonight, Dave," Hotch responded, his voice soft, but non-judgmental. "That's not exactly something I expect to do when I'm in a comfortable committed relationship.

"I'm not drunk, Aaron," Dave retorted defensively, the hairs on his neck bristling prophetically. "But I didn't want to risk driving. Now that I'm a part of Jack's life, I'm making an effort to make responsible choices."

"I know that," Hotch assented, his voice low and calm. If he had learned one thing throughout his years of friendship and relationship with the other man, it was that any situation could explode into a full-blown war with just the slightest provocation. And tonight was not the night to be fueling the fire that was already simmering just below the surface. "But you were drinking because you were depressed. You've been doing that more and more lately. And, coincidentally, we've been spending less and less time together."

"Now you sound like a nagging wife," Rossi muttered under his breath as he threw his head back against the leather seat.

Pressing his lips together before he could say something he'd regret, Hotch inhaled deeply through his nose before saying," You're right. You are being a dick."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hi guys! The FINAL voting process is well underway for the Second Annual Profiler's Choice Criminal Minds Awards hosted by Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum. Links can be found on our profiler pages. Please come on over and take a look at this year's incredibly talented nominees and their stories. Two random voters (that vote in ten categories or more) will be selected to receive gift cards from Amazon. com at the completion of this year's awards. So, take a moment and join the fun. Please PM us with any questions.**

_**And don't forget that we've got quite the collection of fellow authors and readers interfacing over at Facebook. Simply friend "Ilovetvalot Fanfiction" and/or "Tonnie Fanfiction" to join in the fun. Periodic announcements regarding our awards and ongoing work are announced there.**_

_**Thanks to everyone that continues to read, review, favorite and alert our work! You guys are incredible and we love hearing from each one of you!**_

_**Also, if anyone has any threads they would like to see opened at the forum, please let us know!**_

_**Thanks to flashpenguin for the prompt from Facebook.**_

_**This story is a post-ep for "Epilogue".**_

**OH! And please check out the newest forum article by Kricket Williams, "The Art of the Tactful Review". It's at "Chit Chat on Author's Corner".**

* * *

**Come in from the Pain**

**Chapter Two**

Grimacing at the flat tone of Aaron's voice, Dave knew he'd stepped across one of those invisible fucking lines between them. Hell, he needed freaking road map to navigate tonight. "I'm sorry, okay? Jesus, Aaron...I don't know what the hell you expect me to say."

"I expect for you to talk to me," Aaron replied quietly, tightening his hands against the steering wheel. "Without being an asshole about it," he added with a pointed look toward his lover. "I haven't done anything to earn it, Dave. And I'll be damned if I'll let you use me as an emotional punching bag."

"Ask for a ride, earn a lecture," Dave said, rolling his eyes as he lapsed into stony silence for the remainder of the relatively short drive.

_**$$0000$$**_

Pulling up to the cabin several minutes later, Hotch killed the engine and glanced toward the grim faced man beside him. "I can drop you here tonight and come back and get you tomorrow if you'd rather..."

"Shut the hell up, Aaron," Dave retorted, glaring at his lover in the darkness, his dark eyes flashing. "You're putting words in my mouth that I didn't say." Damn it, but he was sounding more and more like his former spouses by the second, and that was a feat he had thought would never happen. A part of him knew he wasn't being fair. Aaron was trying to reach out to him...to somehow breach this distance between them.

He was the one being an incommunicative prick. And he was the only one who could lessen the tension that was heavy around them. Running a hand over his face, he sighed his defeat. "I want you to stay, okay?" he asked heavily.

Watching Dave's face, Hotch slowly nodded. He didn't want to push. God knew he'd hated it when people had urged him to talk about Haley. But in hindsight, discussing her had been necessary to healing and he knew that Dave understood that as well as himself. "Okay," Hotch agreed, opening the car door and reaching for his bag in the back seat.

Following Dave into the cabin a second later, Hotch's eyes took a moment to adjust as Dave flipped on one of the floor lamps in the living room.

"Are you going to harp on me if I fix myself another drink?" Dave asked over his shoulder as he flipped on another lamp.

"You're in your own home, Dave. You aren't driving. And if it'll help get you to talk, I'll pour it myself," Hotch offered, his gaze direct as Rossi turned to face him.

"I didn't realize that I'd been so silent," Dave murmured, stalking past Aaron to move toward the small cabinet in the corner that housed his scotch bottle.

"I can live with you being silent, Dave," Hotch returned evenly as he watched the other man deftly shift the bottle and glasses. "Distant is another matter altogether."

Shoulders rising and falling as he breathed deeply, Dave poured the amber liquor with a steady hand. "You want one?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Yeah, sure," Hotch assented, watching as Dave poured a splash into a second glass. Accepting it when Rossi turned and extended the tumbler, he muttered his thanks.

Crossing the room, Dave sat down heavily in one of the leather recliners, the seat shifting and tilting beneath his weight. Taking a long sip of the alcohol, Dave settled the glass against his stomach as he looked at Aaron. Shaking his head slightly, Dave said, throat tight, "I can't talk about her, Aaron. Not yet."

"I understand."

"Unfortunately, you do," Dave returned heavily, tipping his glass at the younger man before taking another sip. "You never asked me what I decided to do."

"I assumed you'd tell me when you were ready," Aaron countered calmly, settling on the end of the sofa, the furniture familiar and comfortable to him. He couldn't count the times that he and Jack had spent with Dave at this cabin, weekends that were carefree and happy for all of them. An now, those moments seemed far in the distance, the darkness of death and grief overtaking everything else.

Blowing out a breath, Rossi's eyes drifted over the room as the silence descended. God, Aaron was his best friend, he thought desperately. His lover. They'd been sharing a life together for months, raising Jack, living their lives with a modicum of happiness. He'd thought he might just have found the family he craved. He'd accepted that it wasn't in the way he'd ever thought it would evolve, but it hadn't mattered. He and Aaron had even been looking at houses together, ready to solidify what they already knew in their hearts. That they had indeed created a family together that was based on love.

Then Caroline had come back. Sick. Dying. With one final wish.

"I didn't help her, Aaron," Dave confided softly, staring into the scotch, his fingers tightening around the heavy tumbler. "She'd already taken the pills when I arrived. I just...," he trailed off, his throat tightening as he saw her face in the scotch's reflection. Her pale, still face. "I couldn't save her," he choked emotionally.

"She didn't want to be saved, Dave," Hotch reminded him gently, dropping his glass against the coffee table as he leaned forward. "That wasn't why she sought you out. You know that."

"I do," Dave said, bobbing his head. "I just held her, Aaron. I held her and she just...slipped away," Dave whispered, gesturing weakly. "No pain. No violence. Just...silence."

Aaron's heart broke for the other man. It was obvious that his ex-wife's death had taken a heavy toll on him, new lines bracketing his eyes and mouth. "There's nothing I can say, you know that. Except that I'm sorry you had to go through it. But, I don't think you'd have wanted it another way," Aaron theorized knowingly.

"No," Dave declared huskily, pressing his palm against the leather armrest. "No one should have to die alone."

The only sounds in the room were the crickets chirping outside and the sound of their own breathing for several minutes as they sat together, each lost in their own minds.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Dave apologized gruffly as the grandfather clock in the corner chimed, announcing to them both that another hour had passed. "I know we were in the middle of looking for a home together. I didn't mean to let you down."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hi guys! The FINAL voting process is well underway for the Second Annual Profiler's Choice Criminal Minds Awards hosted by Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum. Links can be found on our profiler pages. Please come on over and take a look at this year's incredibly talented nominees and their stories. Two random voters (that vote in ten categories or more) will be selected to receive gift cards from Amazon. com at the completion of this year's awards. So, take a moment and join the fun. Please PM us with any questions. WE ONLY HAVE SIXTEEN DAYS LEFT!**

_**And don't forget that we've got quite the collection of fellow authors and readers interfacing over at Facebook. Simply friend "Ilovetvalot Fanfiction" and/or "Tonnie Fanfiction" to join in the fun. Periodic announcements regarding our awards and ongoing work are announced there.**_

_**Thanks to everyone that continues to read, review, favorite and alert our work! You guys are incredible and we love hearing from each one of you!**_

_**Please check out the new article written by our friend and co-author, Kricket Williams at the Chit Chat on Author's Forum. It is called, "The Art of the Tactful Review".**_

**Also, if anyone has any threads they would like to see opened at the forum, please let us know!**

* * *

**Come in from the Pain**

**Chapter Three**

"It's okay, Dave. I get it," Hotch replied evenly, never taking his eyes off the man he had grown to love.

"It's still something I want, Aaron," Dave assured the younger man firmly. "I just...Caroline's death...it reminded me of the family I lost. Our son would have been 32 this year," he breathed, pain rolling in waves. "Being with you...seeing Jack...watching you two together." He closed his eyes tightly. "It hurt. I never got a chance to be a real father. Sure, I can say I had a child, but I never got to be a dad."

"Dave," Aaron said softly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "You are a dad. A good dad. You've been co-parenting Jack for almost a year. He calls you Papa. He worships you."

Wiping his eyes, Dave looked at Aaron. "You know I love him, Aaron. I love him like a son. But if something happened tomorrow, I don't have a right to him. Jessica could cut me out of his life like that," Dave whispered, snapping his fingers.

"Is that what's got you worried?" Hotch asked, his eyes boring into Dave's.

"I lost one child, Aaron. That pain, it's still as fresh as it ever was. And those memories got me to thinking about Jack...and I don't know if I could handle losing another," Dave confided tightly, uncomfortable exposing himself, even if it was to the man he loved.

"That's never going to happen," Hotch replied, his voice strong and sure.

"It could," Dave whispered, meeting Aaron's gaze. "The one thing this has all taught me, Aaron, is that there are no certainties in life. No guarantees."

"I can guarantee this," Aaron countered strongly, arching one brow. "Adopt him," he stated evenly.

"What?" Dave gaped, his eyes widening as he straightened in his chair.

"I said, adopt him," Aaron replied simply, reaching for the scotch and taking another sip. "We can make it legal. He'd be as much your son as mine. No one could dispute it in a court of law. You'd have clear cut rights."

"You'd do that? You'd share your son with me?" Dave asked, touched at the generosity of the man sitting across from him.

"Dave, we're going to buy a house together. We've been together for over a year. We're already sharing a life together. I can't share something that you already have. Jack thinks of us both as his parents. He is our son. This is just a matter of formalizing it on paper. If I'd realized how important it was to you, I'd have suggested it before now," Hotch assured him gently. Dropping his glass on the table, Hotch rose to cross the room, kneeling in front of Dave's chair and staring directly into his eyes. "You aren't going to lose this family, Dave. Not this time. You can have it in whatever capacity you feel comfortable with."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Dave's eyes misted again. "It's times like this that I fall in love with you all over again," he muttered.

Lips quirking, Hotch smiled. "I'm relieved to hear you say that. I was starting to get worried," he admitted softly as he laced his fingers with Dave's. "I thought you were slipping away from me."

"From you?" Dave smiled crookedly, brushing his fingers against Aaron's strong jaw. "Wouldn't happen. I just didn't know how to tell you how I felt without sounding like a whiny, insecure old fool."

Aaron winked. "Dave, I seriously doubt you've ever been insecure a day in your life. You don't whine, you bitch. And as for the fool part...well, two out of three ain't bad, or so I'm told."

"Asshole," Rossi muttered, his smile muting the insult.

"I learned from the best. Studied at the feet of a master and everything," Hotch teased warmly, rubbing his hands along Dave's thighs.

"I hope like hell you learned more from me than sarcasm," Dave grumbled, tweaking Hotch chin playfully as he fought back a grin.

Hotch slowly grinned, his earlier worries slowly dissipating as he watched the other man's eyes start to clear. "Oh, I picked up a few skills."

Smiling faintly, Dave met Aaron's eyes. "Thank you," he whispered hoarsely, suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of emotion. Love, grief, hope, doubt...all of them swirled over him, threatening to suffocate him for a moment with their intensity.

"For what?" Aaron questioned softly, cocking his head as he saw Dave's eyes fill with tears.

Dave shrugged. "Everything. All of it. I've been a bastard these past few weeks, and you toughed it out. For me. You didn't complain or bitch...you just...you were you. And I love you for it."

"Dave, I've known you for over twenty years," Hotch replied slowly, his gaze soft as he stared at his lover. "You're one of the most complex, complicated men I've ever known. But more than that, you're one of the best. You're almost worth every headache you've ever given me," he added as he smiled. "I loved you before I ever fell in love with you. Nothing can or will ever change that."

Feeling a teardrop slide down his cheek, Dave shook his head, clearing his throat. "You're turning me into a sappy sentimental old fool."

"You were always a sappy sentimental old fool," Hotch negated, cupping Dave's cheek, sweeping his thumb against Dave's strong jaw. "I've just turned you into someone not afraid to show it to me."

"If you expect me to say thank you for that, you're screwed," Dave chuckled, wiping his face.

"I just expect you to keep right on being the person you are, Dave," Hotch said tenderly. "Because that's the guy I fell in love with. Rough and gruff, sappy or sentimental, I don't care." Cupping Dave's cheeks, he met the older man's eyes. "You told me once I needed to come in from the pain. It's time for you to do the same thing."

And as he leaned his forehead against Aaron's, Dave nodded. Aaron was right. The handsome, generous man was offering him a chance at everything he'd ever wanted. It was time to forgive himself and move toward the bright, hopeful future being offered to him.

And he couldn't wait for their tomorrow.

_**Finis**_

* * *

_**So, anybody interested in seeing this one continued in another story?**_


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